
Buyer
Fanatics Commerce is the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, operating a vertically integrated platform that designs, manufactures, and delivers officially licensed apparel, jerseys, headwear, and collectibles for major leagues, teams, and events worldwide. With more than 900 e-commerce sites and a global omnichannel presence across digital, in-venue, and retail, Fanatics Commerce reaches fans in over 180 countries and powers official fan experiences for many of the world's most iconic sports properties.
At Fanatics, we bring our BOLD Leadership Principles to life every day - building championship teams, obsessing over fans, acting with entrepreneurial speed, and delivering with a determined and relentless mindset.
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Buyer is a category owner responsible for curating a trend-right assortment and driving performance across a defined product category, bringing the Fanatics brand to life through innovative product strategy, vendor partnerships, and end-to-end merchandise execution. Reporting to the Divisional Merchandise Manager (DMM), the Buyer partners closely with Planning, Product Development, Site Experience, Marketing, and Supply Chain to build and manage an assortment that delivers for fans — financially, emotionally, and experientially. The Buyer delivers business and fan impact through BOLD leadership and execution excellence, leveraging data, automation, and AI-enabled insights.
HOW WILL YOU DRIVE IMPACT
Success is measured by the ability to deliver results through BOLD capabilities and measurable outcomes.
Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams)
Cross-Functional Leadership:
- Partner with Planning, Product Development, Site Experience, Marketing, and Supply Chain to align assortment strategy with financial targets and fan experience goals.
- Collaborate with the DMM and General Merchandise Manager on vendor negotiations, seasonal strategies, and go-to-market planning.
- Share insights, tools, and best practices across divisions to elevate collective merchandising thinking.
People Leadership:
- Support onboarding and coaching of Assistant Buyers and Coordinators, fostering accountability and a growth mindset across the team.
- Serve as a culture carrier and active contributor to the broader Merchandising team, modeling the BOLD Leadership Principles in daily work.
Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans)
- Build a balanced, trend-right assortment grounded in fan insights, product performance data, and a deep understanding of what fans value emotionally and experientially.
- Stay closely connected to the voice of the fan — tracking trends, social signals, and product sentiment to keep the category relevant and differentiated.
- Leverage pricing, promotion, and markdown decisions driven by fan demand signals and in-season performance insights.
- Monitor the competitive landscape to ensure the category delivers compelling fan value that competitors cannot easily replicate.
Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit)
- Stay curious about emerging product trends, brand innovations, and fan behaviors to continuously elevate category assortment and storytelling.
- Partner with Product Development to shape vertical brand assortment and optimize positioning, identifying opportunities to blend exclusivity with accessibility.
- Curate the vendor matrix to reduce redundancy, improve productivity, and surface new partnership opportunities that drive differentiation.
- Apply data and AI-enabled insights to challenge conventional assortment assumptions and identify new paths to profitable growth.
Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset)
- Own in-season management of sales, margin, inventory, and turn for the category, operating with urgency and resilience to stay ahead of business needs.
- Manage the category's Good/Better/Best framework and full product lifecycle — from initial buy through markdown and exit — with disciplined follow-through.
- Collaborate with Planning to align open-to-buy, receipt flow, and in-season reforecasting, ensuring the category remains on track to financial targets.
- Track and report on category performance regularly, making data-informed recommendations to accelerate profitable growth.
AI & DIGITAL CAPABILITY
We are building a future-ready organization. This role is expected to:
- Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
- Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
- Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
- Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE YOU BRING
Required Qualifications:
- 4+ years of experience in Merchandising or Buying, with demonstrated success in assortment management and vendor partnerships.
- Proven ability to own category performance, including sales, margin, inventory, and turn, with strong in-season decision-making skills.
- Experience negotiating costs, terms, and exclusives with vendor and brand partners to drive growth and product differentiation.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data and fan insights into clear, actionable merchandising strategies.
- Familiarity with Good/Better/Best assortment frameworks and full product lifecycle management, from initial buy through markdown and exit.
- Experience in vertical/private brand and market vendor businesses is a plus.
- Demonstrated passion for product innovation, fan experience, and delivering at speed in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
WORK LOCATION
Hybrid: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Jacksonville, FL or New York, NY subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week.
The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/
Salary Range
$70,000 - $85,000 USD
At Fanatics, we operate with a BOLD mindset - We Build Championship Teams, we’re Obsessed with Fans, we embrace a Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit, and we approach every challenge with a Determined and Relentless Mindset. If you’re ready to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced environment that thrives on collaboration and growth, we want you to be part of our team.
ABOUT US
Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Fanatics Commerce is a leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods. It operates a vertically-integrated platform of digital and physical capabilities for leading sports leagues, teams, colleges, and associations globally – as well as its flagship site, www.fanatics.com.
Fanatics Commerce has a broad range of online, sports venue, and vertical apparel partnerships worldwide, including comprehensive partnerships with leading leagues, teams, colleges, and sports organizations across the world—including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, Formula 1, and Australian Football League (AFL); the Dallas Cowboys, Golden State Warriors, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea FC, and Tokyo Giants; the University of Notre Dame, University of Alabama, and University of Texas; the International Olympic Committee (IOC), England Rugby, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
At Fanatics Commerce, we infuse our BOLD Leadership Principles in everything we do:
· Build Championship Teams
· Obsessed with Fans
· Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit
· Determined and Relentless Mindset
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